


Rose Bowl

by MikeWritesThings



Series: ajay's college groupchat [1]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Chatlogs, Established Relationship, First Meetings, First Time, Humor, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Making Out, Mild Sexual Content, Past Drug Use, Trans Octane | Octavio Silva, only half the fic tho its not the whole fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26201869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeWritesThings/pseuds/MikeWritesThings
Summary: bangalore: do you two have to flirt in chatoctane: yesbangalore: i hate men(Or, Octavio and Taejoon are in a long-distance relationship, finally meet up at a concert, and also perhaps commit a crime.)
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Octane | Octavio Silva, Lifeline | Ajay Che/Wattson | Natalie Paquette, Loba Andrade/Bangalore | Anita Williams
Series: ajay's college groupchat [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964272
Comments: 7
Kudos: 47





	Rose Bowl

**Author's Note:**

> my birthday is on the 7th so its time for me to be self indulgent because its my bday and i Deserve It. yes the title is rose bowl as in rose bowl stadium. im uncreative
> 
> ALSO THIS FIC IS NOT ALL CHATLOG i promiseeee
> 
> tws:  
> one gross line about rampart and her...unconventional methods of getting gum  
> a few suggestive parts but mostly sfw until theyre in the hotel room, if that makes you uncomfortable skip when they start kissing in bed  
> some dysphoria  
> brief mentions of past drug addiction
> 
> i made octane a jungkook stan in this because haha bunny but he loves hoseok also. why ? self projecting

[group chat]

octane: pssst

octane: psssssst

octane: PSSSSSSSTTTTT

rampart: typing in all caps dont mean we can hear your text louder mate

octane: ok but it worked didnt it

rampart: no comment

lifeline: What do you want I’m in class

octane: just felt like bragging that im going to see my boyfriend in 5 days

lifeline:

lifeline: I can’t believe this

lifeline: I’m in CLASS

octane: sounds like a u problem

rampart: LMAO

rampart: ay it’s okay to admit youre jealous of him

lifeline: WHY WOULD I BE

octane: haha che’s jealousssss

lifeline: AM NOT

rampart: wattys all the way in france and youre stuck here...tragic

octane: why do all lesbian romances have to end in tragedy smh

wattson: Someone said my name? :D

lifeline: Hi babe

wattson: Hello

wattson: :)

lifeline: :)

rampart: you guys make me sick

rampart: im gonna go harass elliott

crypto: i knew there was a reason i liked you

rampart: hell yeah clown elliott squad

octane: BABE

crypto: octavio.

octane: say babe back wtf

crypto: no.

octane: y

octane: do u hate me be honest

lifeline: That’s what you get for spamming my phone during class

octane: gonna go set myself on fire

lifeline: Silva. I'm in class

crypto: why are you still on your phone, then?

lifeline: I hate this fucking chat

wattson: Go back to class, silly~

lifeline: Alright

lifeline: Peace

octane: anygays

octane: i cant wait to see u mi amorrrrrrr

crypto: okay

octane: can u give me smth to work with. please

crypto: okay

crypto: i can’t wait to see you too

octane: there we go

crypto: sorry, i'm just a little busy

crypto: i have to work overtime for my vacation days.

octane: its ok sexy i get it but also i cant wait to see all of u

octane: if u know what i mean ;)

crypto: hm, i don’t.

crypto: care to elaborate? quickly now.

octane: i

rampart: LMAAAAO

octane: no <3

crypto: :) why not?

octane: this is so threatening wtf

wattson: I don’t get it.

rampart: ahh watty you dont need to

rampart: just appreciate that tj made the lad shut up

bangalore: what did i just come back to

wattson: I’m not sure.

octane: me being sexy with my boyfriend

bangalore: just scrolled up

bangalore: do you two have to flirt in chat

octane: yes

crypto: absolutely, i do it to spite you.

bangalore: i hate men

bangalore: especially you, park.

crypto: ㄷㄷ, but like, sarcastically.

rampart: ah, i love a good jock/nerd rivalry

rampart: especially since anitas a boomer

bangalore: i know you didn’t just call me boomer parekh

rampart: so what if i did mate whatcha gonna do about it

bangalore: make you pay for your own drinks next time we go out

rampart: ok wait im sorry i didnt mean it ahaha

octane: how does ur gf feel about u taking ramp for dates anyway

bangalore: she doesn’t care

bangalore: parekh is literally 21

bangalore: she knows there’s no competition

rampart: thats cuz she hasnt seen my baby yet

wattson: How’s the workshop coming along?

rampart: FANTASTIC. i think im going to blow everyone away

rampart: literally!

crypto: please refrain

rampart: youre just jealous your own drone crashed and burned mate

crypto: i'm still working on it...

bangalore: ugh, nerd talk

octane: film the thing for me pls ramp i wanna see if it explodes

rampart: hell yeah

bangalore: this is exactly why loba doesn’t care about me going out with you

rampart: sorry im not classy enough to be your gf

bangalore: i’m not even into classy women...

octane: not until loba at least

octane: haha

octane: *points* lesbian

bangalore: silva i will snap you over my knee like a twig

wattson: Anyways, when are you two meeting, again?

octane: the concertttttt

octane: duhhhhhhhhhhh

rampart: press x to doubt

crypto: why is that?

rampart: youre going to be so busy staring at kim seokjins face i doubt youll have time to talk to each other

crypto: okay well nobody asked you.

octane: JAJAJAJAJA

rampart: oh mr worldwide handsome gimme kiss mwahhhh

crypto: you are ten years younger than me this shouldn't be allowed

rampart: you think im gonna let the kpoppie talk to me like that? LMAAAO

bangalore: i understand literally none of these words

rampart: boomer

bangalore: infant

wattson: Well, I hope you two have fun!

octane: gracias nat

bangalore: don’t forget to use protection and all that

octane: ewwww

crypto: goodbye. i have work to do

octane: why did u have to say that do u know how gross that sounds coming from u wtf

bangalore: i’m very aware

bangalore: which is exactly why i said it

octane: im leaving u just ruined it bye

* * *

“What did I tell you about skating without wearing protection?” 

“Well, the thought of using protection at the time was a bit gross, amiga.”

Ajay squinted at him, unimpressed, having just finished cleaning the bloody scrapes on his elbows. Octavio had taken his skateboard out for a ride at his favorite skate park to release some energy, only to eat shit about ten minutes in due to one _very_ unfortunately-placed soda can.

Luckily, the only thing that had really happened was that he had torn up the skin on his elbows and got a nosebleed. Everything else was fine. No concussion or lost limbs this time!

“By the time you see Taejoon, I won’t be surprised if you’ve lost your arms, too.” Ajay was saying as she shut her first-aid kit, sounding faintly annoyed. She stood up to carry it back to her bathroom, leaving Octavio behind to finish putting Hello Kitty band-aids on his cuts. 

“Eh, I’ve got five days. I can think of a way to lose them by then.” He couldn’t see her from here, but a pillow did come rocketing his way, hitting him square in the face. “Ow.”

“It ain’t fair,” Ajay sighed wistfully, wandering back over to him. She was dressed down in casual clothes, a pair of pink shorts and a tank-top with cats all over it. “It ain’t fair that you get to see your boyfriend and I have to wait another year before I get to see Natalie.”

“Maybe if you didn’t date someone who lives in France, you wouldn’t have this problem.”

“I’m saying I definitely deserve it more than you do.”

“ _Whatever,_ chica," Octavio laughed, kicking his metal legs out and flopping onto his back.

He stared up at the glow stars stuck to Ajay’s ceiling, thinking about his boyfriend. He’d been forced back to school two years ago after his parents had intervened with what had been going on with him at the time—when he'd returned Ajay had invited him to her groupchat with her friends, willing to give him a second chance, and through it he met Taejoon.

Taejoon had been, at the time, finishing up his final year at MIT and hadn't ever really been in chat, but they’d hit it off instantly—or so he liked to tell himself. Truth be told, Taejoon had probably blocked him about three times, finding his _everything_ to be annoying, before they finally held a conversation together. They found out that they both liked the same things--mainly, the same video games and even k-pop groups, and had been friends ever since. 

They'd started dating about six months in, though most of their 'dates' consisted of spending four hours in voice chat playing League or Overwatch together. But now they were going to go on a _real_ date, and see each other in person for the first time at a BTS concert.

He was extremely hyped up for the event—first of all, motherfucking _BTS,_ and secondly, he’d get to see his super sexy boyfriend in _real life_. This was going to be _great_.

Ajay nudged him with her foot, interrupting his trip down memory lane. “Get off my bed.”

Octavio grinned up at her, not budging. “In five days, I’m going to be a new man, Che.”

“Sure. Now let me lay down.”

“I will be reborn! I will no longer be a sad, lonely virgin—I will have a very hot boyfriend, and we are going to have so much sex.”

“You do this to patronize me,” Ajay said dryly. “I know you do. Also, you’re hardly a virgin.”

He sat back up, stretching his arms over his head. “Of course I annoy you. ‘Nita’s too busy getting _serious_ with Loba and Ramya’s too busy doing whatever it is she does to pay attention to me. I have no _choice_ but to annoy you, hermana.”

“Or, you could just _not_ annoy anyone at all.” Growing tired of him, Ajay climbed onto her bed and physically shoved him off of it. He landed on his butt with a squawk. “Now let the med student rest, you fuckin’ freeloader.”

* * *

[group chat]

wraith: when is makoa getting back from his honeymoon

wattson: Next weekend?

wraith: ok

wattson: Why?

wraith: witt won’t leave me alone i needed makoa to get him to shut up

rampart: do you need me to kick that plonkers ass again

wraith: no i can handle him

wraith: i’m just tired

bangalore: aren’t we all

octane: well i’M NOT!

octane: i see my boyfriend in THREE DAYS BABEY!!!!!!

wraith: oh my god

octane: oh and bts i guess

lifeline: You say that like you didn’t just spend five minutes in my DMs telling me how much you’re going to cry when you see Jungkook

octane: thats an exaggeration

lifeline: It is Not

octane: i like my men swole okay

wraith: i'm too much of a lesbian to listen to this

bangalore: same, this is literally all just nonsense to me

rampart: i appreciate that youve never once attempted to understand anything about bts, nita. its hilarious

rampart: remember when tav said he was bringing his army bomb to class?

rampart: good times

wraith: ok that was funny

bangalore: it was not

bangalore: anyways

bangalore: what does bts mean again

octane: hahahaha

octane: wouldnt u like to know

bangalore: ? yes

crypto: beyond the scene

wraith: ha.

octane: no it doesnt

crypto: octavio shut up.

rampart: LMAAAAO

rampart: google it

bangalore: ok

crypto: i just told you what it was you don’t need to google it

crypto: don't.

crypto: seriously don't.

bangalore: ...bulletproof boyscouts????????

crypto: fuck

wraith: lmao.

octane: JAJAJAJA

bangalore: grown-ass man listening to 'bulletproof boyscouts'

crypto: i fucking hate you.

wattson: Is this why they call you ARMY?

crypto: stop this is embarrassing

lifeline: Dear lord

wattson: Didn’t Anita think you were in the actual military?

crypto: unfortunately 

bangalore: that was so confusing

* * *

_bangalore: so you’re in the army?_

_bangalore: what division?_

_bangalore: i finished up my second tour last year._

_crypto:_

_crypto: there’s been a great misunderstanding_

_lifeline: Oh my fucking god_

* * *

“You’ve got to show me pictures, I don’t even know what he looks like,” Loba said, examining her nails beneath the glinting lights. They were at Elliott’s bar, drinking with Anita sandwiched in between them; Ramya had, at some point, left to use the restroom, but hadn’t returned.

Octavio had the feeling that the shouts of _‘chug! chug! chug!’_ behind them had something to do with her, though he couldn't check, because as soon as he'd tried to run off Anita had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck as though he were a kitten.

“He’s a private person,” Octavio grumbled, taking the little umbrella that came with his drink and ripping it to shreds, arranging the colorful pieces into a pattern on the counter in an attempt to entertain himself.

“That’s what they say when their man is ugly,” Loba teased, before flashing him a wolfish grin. He was sometimes taken aback by the expressions that crossed her refined features—she seemed _far_ too regal to have the sense of humor that she did.

“He’s okay,” Anita piped up, downing the last of her beer and setting the empty bottle down on the bar. She turned to face her girlfriend, mouth turning up a little at the corners. “I mean, he’s no _you_.”

Octavio mimed gagging behind her. Anita only ever got _this_ gross after three beers, which was bad, because she was his ride home. 

“I appreciate that, dear,” Loba purred, placing her hand on Anita’s bicep. “You’re drunk.”

“I am not,” Anita argued. “I am perfectly functional.”

The people behind them shouting _‘chug!’_ started cheering wildly, soon followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor.

“I have a feeling that Ramya isn’t,” Octavio said. Anita pushed away from the bar with a sigh, grumbling out,

“I’ll go get her.”

She left Octavio and Loba by themselves. The two of them had never really talked to each other much—Anita was Octavio’s friend, one of the only adult figures he trusted in his life, which was _weird_ because he was also an adult, but she was like, An Older Adult. Because of this status, he viewed Loba as his weird aunt; her words, not his.

(“Hey, mom-” Octavio’s mouth immediately snapped shut at this slip-up, and he nearly spilled his drink on himself. Anita stared at him, having paused from wiping the sweat off her face with a towel.

A moment passed, his face getting redder with each second, as he prepared for her to hit him or something. _Oh_ _god. Oh god she's going to kick my ass._

“Don’t do that ever again,” Anita told him, merciful.

“Y-yup.”

“Ha!” Loba laughed unhelpfully from the bench she had been sitting on for the past hour. “Does that make me your weird aunt?”

“No, that’d make you my step-mom,” Octavio said, face still red. Anita whipped him with her sweaty towel, scowling, while Loba laughed once again.

“Step-mom makes me sound old, darling. I prefer _weird aunt_.”)

“So, are you going to show him to me or not?” Loba asked, breaking Octavio out of his embarrassing memories. He shrugged, deciding that there was no harm in doing so, and dug his phone out of his pocket.

He scrolled through he and Taejoon’s chat history, which probably wasn’t a good idea to do so in public, considering the amount of times their messages had gone into suggestive territory, but he didn’t really care at the moment. 

He eventually found a mostly-safe photo of Taejoon, one where he had clearly just woken up, sweats hanging low off his hips and the neckline of his shirt dipping severely. His black hair was sticking up in the back, and he looked really _cute_ in the picture. You could kind of see the outline of his dick through his sweats, so Octavio zoomed in on the picture a little to cut his bottom half off before sliding his phone over to Loba.

She picked it up then, holding it away from her face and squinting judgmentally. He remembered her saying once that she needed glasses, but she didn’t wear any because you couldn’t see her make-up beneath them. Her vibrant red eyeshadow sparkled beneath the bar lights now as she stared at the photo of Taejoon, before pinching her fingers on the screen and zooming out.

“Oh my,” she said, sounding amused, before handing his phone back to him. She took a sip from her drink, a gin and tonic, before telling him: “He’s out of your league.”

“Thanks, tía. I appreciate that.”

“Has he seen pictures of you?” 

“Uh, yeah. He _asks_ for pictures of me.”

“At least he knows what he’s getting into, then,” Loba mused. His face must have had a very unpleasant expression on it, because she reached out and touched him lightly on his shoulder. “Relax, _lindo_ , I’m only teasing.”

Before he could say anything back, Anita was in between them once again, a laughing Ramya on her back with her arms wrapped around her neck. 

“We need to go,” Anita grumbled. “Parekh needs to go home and I’m everybody’s ride.”

“You shoulda seen me!” Ramya howled, throwing her head back. “Reigning champ of this dumbass bar!”

She then reached under the bar, unsticking what must’ve been weeks-old gum from the bottom before popping it into her mouth.

“Lovely,” Loba said.

“This is what I mean when I say she knows it’s no contest,” Anita told Octavio, who had physically cringed.

“I’m charming as hell, fuck you,” Ramya slurred, before her head fell against Anita's shoulders and she passed out for good.

* * *

[group chat]

octane: tomorrow

octane: <3

wraith: we get it

octane: do u

wraith: yes

octane: are u sure

wraith: unfortunately

octane: are u SURE

wraith: silva

octane: ok jajaja im kidding pls dont kick me like u did last time

wattson: I wish I could visit Ajay...but alas! Hope you have fun, Octavio!

octane: awe thanks nat

lifeline: I know you’re going to be annoying as hell when this happens

wraith: more than he already is?

octane: why do u all hate me

lifeline: It’s what you deserve.

octane: that’s fair

octane: but because of this im going 2 use ur bed to launch myself into the sky with 7 fireworks left over from new years

lifeline: If you do it I swear to god I will rip your legs off and beat you to death with them

lifeline: Anyways I have a twelve page essay due tomorrow so if anyone fucking messages me you will understand the true meaning of pain

rampart: this hangover is pain enough ill tell ya that

wattson: Isn’t your project due tomorrow too Ramya?

rampart: yeah but i can totally work on sheila hungover

rampart: what else is she gonna do? explode even more? lmaaaao

wraith: hm.

wraith: do you really want to test that theory

rampart: more than anything

octane: fukc yeaaa

octane: well tell me how it goes chica cuz by this time tomorrow i will have the world’s sexiest nerd by my side

lifeline: Gross

crypto: why do you have to do this in a public chat room

octane: how else will i let people know i am getting dick

crypto: you could just Not.

lifeline: Every day I understand Anita’s hatred of men more

wraith: honestly this is tame compared to being witt’s best friend

lifeline: I can guarantee that you are wrong

crypto: well

crypto: i will see you tomorrow then.

wattson: You do not sound very happy?

crypto: i am.

crypto: i'm just exhausted.

crypto: my boss hates me and i hate him back and he keeps giving me extra overtime because i'm taking the week off.

crypto: in short, we are currently engaged in a very passive-aggressive war.

crypto: tomorrow i'm going to give him coffee that is lukewarm. :)

wattson: Okay...but this still sounds like you are unhappy?

rampart: dont worry about it watty thats just how he is

octane: of course hes happy

octane: who wouldnt be when they get to see ME

wraith: didn’t you get kicked out of english last year and the professor told you to never set foot in there ever again?

octane: ok well thats different

crypto: i'm not mad, natalie. promise. ^^.

octane: bitch wtf is ^^ and why dont u do it for ME

crypto: hm.

crypto: see you. ^^

octane: wait thats cute

octane: ok see u babeeeee

wattson: I always think he sounds upset ^^;

lifeline: It’s just because of how blunt he is, love

wattson: You’re probably right.

wattson: I used to think Renee sounded upset too!

wraith: but i’m not

wraith: not towards you, anyways

rampart: its probably what the rest of us deserve eh

rampart: anyways tav let me know how the date goes ill send you a vid of sheila blowing up in real time

rampart: later mates

lifeline: Do Not

rampart: too late! :) 

* * *

[private messaging]

octane: are u excited to see me

crypto: of course.

octane: well u dont sound excited

crypto: of course!

octane: ok thats better

octane: im super excited ok

octane: i finally get to see the dude whos been carrying me to diamond every ranked season now <3

crypto: at this point it just feels like you date me to boost your account

crypto: filty dps main.

octane: noooo i date u because ur funny and cute and also u have a big dick

crypto: ㅋㅋ

crypto: i really am excited to see you

octane: what are u most excited about

crypto: the concert, obviously.

octane: sorry i can’t be kim seokjin </3

crypto: i was joking, i’m most excited about getting to kiss you for real.

crypto: :)

octane: h

octane: qkjdnkfnkxwjfnwefm,2fckjcn ofnfk2 c

octane: dont

octane: SAY shit like thjat

crypto: sorry

octane: NO UR FINE

octane: i just

octane: gay

octane: ur gay

crypto: so are you

octane: fuck yea i am huh

octane: well u are MEGA gay

crypto: we’re not doing this again

crypto: we are both very gay and we will especially be very gay when we meet tomorrow. happy?

octane: very

crypto: okay.

crypto: mila says hi.

octane: hiii mila tell ur brother hes a fucking nerd and i hate him

crypto: “i know”--mila

octane: fkjwnfkwnfl

octane: ok well um

octane: i actually wanted 2 ask uhhhh

octane: if u want to get a hotel

octane: ?

crypto: i already have one.

octane: nOOOoo like

octane: together

crypto: why?

crypto: the concert is near your place, isn’t it?

octane: well

octane: my roommate is going to be here tho

crypto: ?

crypto: what does he have to do with anything

octane: fuck

octane: taejoon u are a fucking brick i hate u

octane: I WANT 2 SPEND THE NIGHT WITH U. IDIOTA

crypto: oh.

crypto: i’m not sure about that.

octane: oh

crypto: i don’t think that’s a good idea.

octane: haha

octane: ok

* * *

Octavio let his phone fall onto his chest, staring up at the ceiling. His roommate was snoring loudly in the room next to him, and it seemed to be filling his head with a buzzing noise.

What was that? Why didn’t Taejoon want to spend the night with him? Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t think of anything particularly bad he’d done to warrant that sort of response, and he was getting a little paranoid because of it.

Truth be told, he’d been paranoid all day, ever since Loba had told him that Taejoon was out of league. He’d laughed it off at first, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was _right,_ and that sucked.

Taejoon had a degree in computer science from MIT, an apartment of his own, and a _job._ He had a plethora of varied interests, like video games and k-pop and hockey and DnD and drawing, and he was also so fucking hot that it was _unfair_.

Octavio was a recovering drug addict living off of his parents’ money in a dorm while studying something he didn’t even care for, if _‘studying’_ meant flunking all his tests and only showing up the bare minimum days required for class. He had exactly three interests, because he had ADHD and could only ever talk about those three things without getting bored.

Not only that, but he was also trans and an amputee—surely Taejoon could find someone who _wasn’t_ all of those things, someone who was cis and neurotypical and had all his limbs intact and an _actual_ job and didn't suffer from relapses when the going got tough and...

 _You’re being stupid,_ he told himself, and yanked his pillow from beneath his head, pressing it down over his face as he tried to get those thoughts out of his head. He went through this same internal spiel every time he hooked up with other guys, this shitty _‘but they could do better’_ thing that reeked of his dysphoria and plethora of other issues.

Taejoon had never given him much reason to think all these things before, not until now—and he had no idea why he had responded like that at the prospect of them sharing a room together. Was he doubting his decision to meet up with Octavio? Why? What was it about him that was giving him these second thoughts? They had been doing so _well,_ hadn't they? Did Taejoon finally realize that his future would be much, much brighter if Octavio wasn't in the picture?

Fumbling with his phone, he opened his chat history with Ajay and typed out half a message, before remembering that she was up late trying to finish a paper, and would likely end his motherfucking life if he texted her. Groaning, he deleted it all, turning his phone off only to instantly turn it back on, anxious.

He should probably just ask Taejoon directly, right? He wasn’t a coward, he was Octavio motherfucking Silva, who blew off his own fucking legs by doing crazy stupid shit—he could ask his boyfriend a few simple questions, right?

So without further ado, he opened up his chat with Taejoon, taking a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing._

* * *

[private messaging]

octane: why??

crypto: why what?

octane: why dont u think its a good idea

octane: do u not want to meet up??

crypto: i didn’t say that?

octane: ok but it was implied

crypto: i just said that we probably shouldn’t share a hotel room.

octane: ok but WHY

octane: did i do smth

octane: did i make u uncomfortable

crypto: no, quite the opposite

crypto: i didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.

octane: why

octane: why would i feel uncomfortable if i was the one who suggested it

crypto: i just didn’t want you to feel pressured to do anything.

crypto: i’ve gone on dates before where we shared a hotel room or went back to the other’s place.

crypto: sometimes i felt like i wasn’t ready to have sex, but i did it anyways because i was already there.

crypto: i sometimes feel like it happened in reverse, too, where my partner maybe wasn’t ready to do so either

crypto: i didn’t want that to happen here.

crypto: because i care about you, believe it or not

octane: omg

octane: ur so sweet

octane: i care u too

octane: i mean we dont even have to have sex we could just cuddle bro

crypto: i know, but i was just making sure.

crypto: if you really want to come over, then okay.

crypto: but i don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything

crypto: i can take you home at any point if you want me to :)

octane: u say this like u even know anything about la

crypto: good thing we have the wonders of technology.

crypto: and i've been studying maps of LA anyways.

octane: NEKFNWKFNW

octane: ok nerd

octane: but i rly do want to go w u babe

octane: 100 percent serious

octane: weve done this shit too long for me to not want to u know

octane: feel like pure shite just want my bf to hold me in his arms

crypto: okay

crypto: i will

octane: STOP

octane: sayiNG things like that i hate you

crypto: you asked for it

octane: doesnt mean u have to replyyyyy with sappy shit im SICK

octane: goodbye i cant handle this shit no more

crypto: well, i have a surprise for you when i get there.

octane: is it ur massive cock

crypto: it is not.

octane: i was joking jajajaja

octane: ok but wait fr im like a lil horny do u wanna

octane: e-fuck

crypto: ok well just because you said e-fuck the answer is no

octane: JAJA

crypto:i'm tired anyways, and i have a very long flight ahead of me

crypto: so, good night

crypto: <3

octane: WTF U DID IT AGAIN

octane: BUT <3

octane: NOW STOP

* * *

Octavio paced back and forth inside of the café he and Taejoon had agreed to meet up at, cracking his fingers repeatedly out of habit. It was filled with fellow BTS fans, which he could tell because of the merch they all donned, and he felt a little less out of place in his own t-shirt because of it; it had Jungkook’s rabbit character, Cooky, on the front because _yes I am obsessed with bunnies Ramya now leave me alone there I said it._

He gripped the hem of his shirt and bunched it up, tying it in a knot so that his belly button was visible. Normally he just cut his shirts in half to make them crop-tops, but Cooky was cute, and he didn’t want to disfigure the bunny, so he settled for this method instead.

While he tied his shirt, the door to the café swung open, and he glanced up out of habit before looking back down at his hands, before doing a double-take and snapping his head up once again.

Taejoon had entered, hair looking windswept and phone in hand. Unlike the rest of the fans in the café, he didn’t look like he was about to attend a concert; he had on a thin Playstation t-shirt and a black jacket, which Octavio normally would have called the ‘ _guaranteed a virgin_ ’ fit, but his boyfriend made it work, somehow.

Before he knew it he had sprung forward, bouncing a little in his steps as his metal feet carried him over to Taejoon. His boyfriend looked up from his phone then, staring at him blankly, before recognition sparked in his eyes and that crooked little grin of his that Octavio _adored_ came to his lips, which made him feel Things™.

“Hola,” Octavio teased, trying to keep his cool. “Are you new here?”

“Visiting from out of town, yes," Taejoon responded, playing along with his little game as he tucked his phone back into his jacket pocket.

“For what?” 

“There’s a concert I have tickets to,” Taejoon replied, still with that look on his face as he met Octavio's eyes, gaze steady. “And there's a guy I’m supposed to meet right before it.”

Octavio couldn’t keep up the game any longer; he practically threw himself at Taejoon, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. The other stumbled a little, grunting, but managed to place his hands on his thighs, holding him up steadily while Octavio grinned down at him.

“Hi,” he said, but it came out as a giggle, which was embarrassing.

“Hello,” Taejoon said back, smiling at him in a way that was making him feel super gay. Like, mega fucking gay. “Are you ready to go?”

“Can you carry me?”

“Absolutely not.” Taejoon let go of his thighs then, and Octavio let his legs drop down and slid off of his boyfriend. “You're heavy."

Octavio looked down at his prosthetic legs. "That's fair."

Taejoon held open the café door for him, squinting a little at the sunlight, and saying, "It's hot."

“You think _this_ is hot? This is _nothing_. You are a little baby.”

“I’m a New Yorker, I’m not used to it.” They stepped out onto the street, side-by-side as they headed in the direction of the stadium. Octavio wanted to race ahead, practically vibrating with nerves, but he forced himself to stick by Taejoon, even if he was practically jogging in place while doing so.

His boyfriend gave him a funny look, before reaching out and taking his hand, which made Octavio’s brain short-circuit a little because _h_ _._

They’d done video calls together, stayed up late into the night messing around on various video games and talking to one another over chat, but _nothing_ could compare to the real thing. His heart sped up in his chest, which felt embarrassing to admit—he was inexperienced when it came to actual dating and PDA shit that wasn’t just aggressively grinding against some horny dude in a club, and softer contact like this was making him melt.

_Ew I sound so soft oh my god what's happening to me why is he doing this to me I hate this but also it's really nice what the hell-_

“Is this okay?” Taejoon asked as if sensing his internal breakdown, squeezing his hand in question.

“More than okay,” Octavio said out loud, a little squeaky, before tugging the man along, excited. "C'mon, slow-poke."

* * *

[private messaging]

lifeline: So

lifeline: How’s it going

octane: hot

octane: i mean hes hot and also

octane: its so fucking hot outside

octane: weve been standing in line for 3 hours

lifeline: Figured

lifeline: Every pic of BTS concerts I see has mile-long lines

octane: ok but its worth it

octane: also he took a small nap against my shoulder :)

octane: im freaking tf out :))))))

lifeline: Calm down Silva

octane: HES CUTE :(((((

lifeline: God damn it I wanna meet my girlfriend

octane: ha

octane: gay

lifeline: You have a man on you right now

octane: I KNOWWW I LOVE HIM

lifeline: Gags

lifeline: Anyways take pictures of Taehyung for me

octane: of course amiga

lifeline: Thank you

lifeline: Every lesbian needs her comfort k-pop boy and this assignment is going to make me go gray

octane: ha imagine going to med school. couldnt b me

lifeline: Actually it could be if your father makes you do a med course next year for the company, Silva :)

octane: FUCK

* * *

“Do you want to share something?” Octavio asked, gesturing to the menu. A wide array of unhealthy food awaited; chicken tenders, chili dogs, loaded nachos, and every flavor of soda imaginable. Taejoon’s nose scrunched up a little.

“No thank you,” he said. “I wanted to grab dinner after this.”

“Oh.” For some reason, Octavio’s face flushed at that—an actual date, huh? “Well, I’m starving, soooo...”

“Go ahead.”

He got himself a plate of loaded nachos, piled high with jalapeños and tomatoes and sour cream, before following his boyfriend down a dimly-lit hall to get into the stadium. Dozens of rows of pink seats sat before them under the baking California sun, and he had to squint a little as they climbed, as it was shining directly in his eyes. BTS’s music videos were playing on both of the jumbo screens on either side of the stage, and most of the people watching were singing along to _I Need U._

They found their seats and sat together, Taejoon shrugging off his black jacket and placing it in his lap. Octavio nearly spilled his nachos as he sat down, fumbling with his phone as he took pictures of the stadium so he could tweet it out to his followers. Taejoon pulled his own phone out as well, typing out a text message to his sister Mila, and as Octavio hit ‘sent’ on his tweet he saw a little Twitter notification pop up on his boyfriend’s phone.

“Aw, you have notifs on for me?” Octavio teased, but his voice came out a little higher than it normally did. He watched his boyfriend’s cheeks tint red at this statement.

“Of course I do,” he said flatly. 

“That’s adorable. My number one fan.”

“Shut up.”

Octavio stuck a bunch of nachos into his mouth, which was a mistake, because _Dope_ started playing on the jumbo screens and he immediately tried to sing along; “ _Ayo ladies and gentlemen..._ ”

He accidentally swallowed his chips wrong and started choking. Alarmed, Taejoon thumped him on his back, and he reached for his drink, only to realize that he had forgotten to buy one. Octavio thumped his fist to his chest as well, and managed to get it all down, coughing up a lone slice of jalapeño as he did so.

_Oh god._

“...Are you okay?” Taejoon asked, concerned.

“Yup. Never been better.” He wanted to _die_. “I could use a drink.”

“I’ll go get you one.” His boyfriend stood up and slid past him, and Octavio took his phone out and immediately started texting Ajay, feeling embarrassed.

* * *

[private messaging]

octane: i want to fucking die

octane: i ALMOST died

lifeline: Did you set something on fire again

octane: NO

octane: I ALMOST CHOKED 2 DEATH ON MY NACHOS

lifeline: LMAO

lifeline: IN FRONT OF HIM?

octane: IN FRONT OF HIM

lifeline: Oh this is good

lifeline: I’m holding this against you forever you know

octane: STOP

lifeline: I’m telling Natalie

octane: noooo

lifeline: No wait I’m telling the gc

octane: NOOOOOOO

* * *

[private messaging]

wattson: You almost choked mon ami?

wattson: Are you alright?

wattson: Do you have water?

octane: NATALIEEEE 

* * *

[private messaging]

rampart: LMAAAAO LOSER

octane: SHUT UP

octane: AT LEAST I DONT CHEW GUM THATS BEEN ON THE FLOOR

* * *

[group chat]

rampart: not octavio pretending to be all wild and then instantly losing his shit when in close proximity to a cute boy

wattson: We always knew he paled in comparison to you, Ramya.

rampart: thanks watty

wattson: That was not necessarily a compliment, but you’re welcome.

octane: i fucking

octane: i AM batshit okay but sometimes im gay before im batshit

octane: do not fucking test me

octane: just to prove u wrong

octane: i am going to go bungee jumping off of the main campus building

rampart: bet?

octane: bet

bangalore: dear god

* * *

The concert was going great, so far. They’d instantly started off with two of Octavio’s favorite songs, _Not Today_ and _Dionysus_ , the first of which Taejoon didn’t like because of the distinct lack of Seokjin and the second one he loved for the opposite reason.

"You are so predictable," Octavio told him.

"Shut up. _Not Today_ sounds like it was made in a blender."

"You just hate fun, cariño."

A couple of songs later, during Hoseok’s solo performance (in which there were _water cannons,_ holy shit) Octavio got bonked on the head by someone’s ARMY bomb and had to sit down for a good minute, massaging the spot that had gotten clobbered. ARMY bombs should be classified as actual fucking weapons.

His pain instantly faded away, however, as the beginning notes of _Euphoria_ began and he jumped to his feet, excited.

“Oh my fucking god,” he said, hyped out of his mind and bouncing on his metal feet because that was _Jungkook_ and Jungkook was His Boy™ and made him happy which was _embarrassing_ but also _fuck you_ some people like Jungkook to _cope, Anita._

("I don't understand what any of this means," she had responded to his drunken rambling, Octavio finally managing to achieve one month clean and trying to find a new hobby to take up the time previously allotted for drug use. "But good for you.")

Taejoon gave him a look, somewhere between exasperated and fond, as Octavio stared hard at the stage, where his favorite idol was little more than a white blob in the distance.

“What’re they doing?” He asked impatiently, referring to the people in black surrounding Jungkook, helping him into something. It soon turned out to be a harness, and the man flew around the stadium as he performed _Euphoria._ His voice sounded great in real life, like he’d eaten CDs for breakfast.

Octavio filmed the whole thing, still losing his mind because _holy shit Jungkook is flying_ , and after that there was a short break. He uploaded the video to all of his social medias, a wide grin on his face. He texted the group chat frantically, going on about how _cool_ the concert was so far, and when he looked back up Taejoon was smiling at him again.

“What?”

“You’re cute when you’re excited,” Taejoon told him, teasing him lightly, and Octavio nearly short-circuited at that too because _aaaaaaaah._ “It’s nice that you can get so excited about these things.”

"You make it sound like _you_ can't."

"I can," Taejoon mumbled, slipping his hands into his pockets and gazing out over the crowd. "But people tend to think it's weird when a thirty-year-old man likes boy bands."

“Well, _I’ve_ had enough of squashing my excitement down,” Octavio replied, scuffing the ground with his metal foot, antsy due to inactivity. Concerts were fun, but he wished he could dance a little more without accidentally hitting everyone around him.

"Oh yeah?"

“Yeah. My dad used to tell me I wasn’t acting enough like a guy when I started getting into BTS. Well, screw him, I _am_ a guy and I am gay as fuck for Jeon Jungkook.”

“ _Mianhe_ , that sounds...like your dad. But I'm glad that you can enjoy things, now."

“...Thanks.” Oh no they were getting serious oh no he had made the conversation serious. Oh god what did he do. How was he supposed to change the subject. Oh no.

As if reading his mind, BTS emerged onto the stage, ready for their next song, and conversation stopped then, replaced by yelling and incorrectly singing the words.

The concert was pretty high-energy from then on until _Singularity,_ Taehyung laying dramatically on a bed whilst performing it, which Octavio chose as his time to take a quick bathroom break. When he returned they were just starting _Fake Love,_ and Taejoon was singing along quietly. Like, the actual words, instead of just vague consonants that _sounded_ like the words, like Octavio did. Though he supposed this was to be expected, as the man was literally Korean.

When _Epiphany_ started, his boyfriend’s eyes widened and his back straightened. Motherfucking Kim Seokjin was on the stage, sitting at a piano and playing the emo rock ballad that every Gay™ longed for.

The crowd waved their hands in the air in time to the music as Seokjin’s vocal performance carried on, and for once Octavio didn’t mind the lack of frenetic dance energy in a song. 

“ _I_ _’m the one I should love in this world...bitnaneun naruel sojunghan nae-_ ”

Realizing that the voice he was hearing loudest wasn’t Seokjin’s, but, in fact, Taejoon’s, he turned to see his boyfriend staring transfixed at the stage, still singing along.

“You are gay,” Octavio told him.

“Shut the fuck up,” Taejoon responded without glancing at him. “Seokjin’s singing.”

Octavio got hit on the head with an ARMY bomb again, letting out a little ‘ah’ of pain that got lost in Seokjin screaming _‘OHHHHHHH’_ into his microphone at the peak of the song. The whole stadium was screaming along with him, which must sound _great_ to the residential neighborhoods nearby.

Taejoon didn't scream, though he was definitely humming along, a deep rumble in his chest that Octavio felt due to their close proximity, and he shivered a little. His boyfriend noticed, and shrugged off his jacket, sliding it over his shoulders for him.

Octavio didn't protest, too busy dodging another ARMY bomb attack as _Epiphany_ ended and _Tear_ started. 

* * *

[private messaging]

lifeline: How’s the concert going

octane: hoseok sexcey

lifeline: Mic Drop time?

octane: you know it babey

octane: the dior outfit fucking hits

lifeline: Send me the Taehyung pics

octane:

octane: I FUCKING FORGOT

lifeline: I ASKED YOU FOR ONE THING

octane: I WENT 2 THE BATHROOM FOR SINGULARITY

lifeline: YOU’RE A FUCKING LIAAAR

octane: NOOOOOOO IM TELLING THE TRUTH I SWEAR

* * *

During _Anpanman,_ they inflated bouncy houses for BTS to jump around in and sing at the same time. Octavio instantly had a new idea for his YouTube channel, and began describing it in excruciating detail to Taejoon, yelling over the crowd singing along to the song.

Taejoon listened patiently, and when he finished, said, “I love you, but we’re in the middle of a concert.”

“I hate this song, anyways,” Octavio said.

“We can no longer date, sorry.”

“You’re an _Anpanman_ apologist?” He mimed disgust. “It’s over, compadre.”

* * *

[group chat]

rampart: when does the concert end im tired of waiting to send this video

octane: its over now

octane: also how much did it explode

rampart: A LOT >:D

wraith: i can vouch for this. i was there

crypto: we’re waiting for the stadium to clear out a little more before leaving.

lifeline: How was it?

crypto: kim seokjin i have feelings for you.

rampart: imagine thinking real life men are attractive

rampart: couldnt be me

wraith: didn't you tell makoa he was, and i quote, ‘a sexy beast?’

rampart: makoa aint a plonker thats why

lifeline: Speaking of ‘plonkers’

lifeline: Witt is outside my door drunk again

wraith: sigh

wraith: i’ll come get him

rampart: the biggest plonker of them all

rampart: anyways tav when are you coming back

octane: i think i might room with tj tonight

rampart: OH HO

rampart: >:3c

crypto: what the hell does that face even mean

rampart: >:3c

rampart: you know EXACTLY what it means

rampart: have fun lads

rampart: but not too much

rampart: LMAO

octane: oh we’ll have fun alright >:3

rampart: >:3c

lifeline: Oh my god there’s two of them

* * *

Once three quarters of the stadium had emptied out, Octavio and Taejoon wandered outside, where hundreds of people were swarmed around the merchandise stands, including people selling knock-off t-shirts.

People were also posing in front of telephone polls that had giant banners of the BTS members displayed, though Seokjin’s banner was conspicuously absent from the bunch.

“I had fun,” Octavio was saying, holding Taejoon’s hand and swinging their arms together. It was a little past eleven at night, but the area was lit by a combination of the parking lot lights and about a hundred ARMY bombs still left on. 

“Me too,” Taejoon said. He cocked his head to the side, glancing up at the banners as they passed by, frowning a little, though he didn't say anything.

"Didn't you say you had a surprise for me?"

"Not right now. Tomorrow."

"But I hate waitinggggg."

"That's too bad," his boyfriend said coolly, but Octavio suddenly remembered something and became distracted.

“Wait, I better take a picture of Taehyung for Ajay.” He stopped dead in his tracks, before turning to face the large, smiling faces of the members. He held up his phone and took a picture of Taehyung’s banner as he was jostled by passerby, the remaining stragglers from inside the stadium leaving in groups.

He then lowered his phone again to send it to her, but paused when he noticed something on a pile in the grass, way out in the distance.

“Oh my god,” he said, and went into his camera app again, using it to zoom in on the object about a hundred feet away from them. “It’s Jin’s banner.”

“It must’ve fallen down," Taejoon noted.

Octavio instantly had both a terrible, and also great, idea.

“Let’s steal it,” he told his boyfriend. Thanks to how well-lit the parking lot was, he saw the other man visibly pale at his suggestion.

“No,” he said firmly. “We are _not_ stealing anything.”

“It’s what Seokjin would want.”

“ _Octavio._ ”

“I’m gonna do it,” he said, and then ran across the grass before Taejoon could say anything else, approaching the pile of fabric. He bent down, grabbing hold of the thing, which must be about twenty or thirty feet long, and started rolling it up. It was _way_ heavier than it looked, but thankfully there were cords still attached to it that had probably been used to hang it up in the first place.

Wrapping the cords around the rolled-up banner and then tying them into a knot, he hooked the cords around his wrists and dragged the banner across the field, where Taejoon stood with his hand gripping his hair, clearly distressed.

“Put it back,” he said, glancing around, paranoid.

“Kim Seokjin did not say _‘be gay, do crimes’_ just for you to be a fucking pussy, ‘Joon.”

“When has he _ever_ said that?”

“When he publicly admitted that his celebrity crush was Brad Pitt, you fake fan.” Octavio hefted the banner a little with a grunt. “Now let’s get going before someone notices.”

Despite Taejoon’s clear disapproval, they managed to get the banner across the parking lot, purposely walking in the shadows so that they would not be noticed. There was _no_ way that they would be able to take the thing into a taxi, so Octavio called Anita on his phone, asking for her to bring her truck.

“This is an awful idea,” Taejoon mumbled to himself, waiting on the side of the road with Octavio. “We just stole property.”

“They’ll get over it, they’re millionaires.” Octavio grinned at his boyfriend, dropping the banner onto the curb. Taejoon gave him an unimpressed look, but allowed Octavio to reach over and take his wrist into his hand, pulling him close. Now, to the _true_ main event of the night...

Still standing on the curb, and therefore about eye-level with the other man, Octavio swept Taejoon’s hair back, heart beginning to thump in his chest. This was far more adrenaline-inducing than any stunt he’d ever pulled, and it only intensified when his boyfriend finally put his hands on him; first gripping his hips firmly, before one hand slid down to touch his ass, slow and unsure.

“Nice,” Octavio said out loud, voice doing that high-pitched thing again, which was so fucking awful but he didn’t care. He placed his fingers against Taejoon’s jaw, and then, unable to wait any longer, practically crashed their lips together, his boyfriend responding rather enthusiastically.

They were like that for about a good fifteen seconds, frenetic kissing on the side of the road, standing next to something he’d stolen from the biggest boyband in the world as they made out. Taejoon’s hand was squeezing his ass now, and _fuck yeah_ , this was great, exactly what he’d been dreaming of for the months leading up to this moment, and he couldn't wait for...

_Honk!_

“Please don’t tell me you stole that,” Anita said, sticking her head out of her truck as she rolled to a stop. Loba sat in the seat next to her, doing her make-up in a little compact mirror.

“Did I interrupt date night?” Octavio asked, choosing to ignore her question.

“You’re fine, _lindo_ ,” Loba hummed, smacking her lips and examining the bright shade of red, before her eyes slid over to meet Taejoon’s. “I’m Loba, by the way. I’m sure you know of me.”

“Hello,” his boyfriend said, dipping his head in greeting, before holding his hand out to shake Anita’s. She smirked a little.

"Hey, nerd."

"So that's how it's going to be?" The man let his hand drop, face completely straight but voice lilting up in a joking manner. "Old lady."

"Okay, Geek Squad, get in the truck,” she responded gruffly, jerking her thumb to the back seat. “Silva, am I driving you back to your place, or-?”

“We’re going to Tae’s hotel,” Octavio cut her off, before glancing over at his boyfriend as he lifted the banner into the back of the truck. “Aren't we?”

Taejoon nodded, face impassive, and he heard Loba cackle a little from behind him.

“Okay, boys,” she mused, a no-good glint in her eyes. “Make sure to use protection, okay?”

“Loba,” Anita warned, sounding tired.

“I’m just saying!” She turned in her seat to smile at Octavio directly. “And nice touch, a little thievery on the first date goes a long way.”

“Oh yeah?” Octavio responded, sitting forward in his own seat. Taejoon touched him gently on the shoulder and guided him into leaning back so that he was sitting properly against the seat, before the other man reached over and secured Octavio's seat belt for him.

“Don’t get her started,” Anita said, sounding annoyed as she put the truck into gear.

“He learned from the best, didn’t he?”

“ _Loba._ ”

* * *

[group chat]

crypto: so

crypto: octavio might’ve stolen a thirty-foot long banner from the concert.

lifeline: He WHAT

wattson: ...Quoi?

lifeline: Good morning love

wattson: Good morning mon cheri!

wraith: elaborate?

crypto: he saw it and decided to take it.

lifeline: And he couldn’t get me a single picture of Taehyung?

lifeline: I fucking hate this man

crypto: he took a picture of taehyung’s banner for you i think

lifeline: It’s too late, the damage has been done AND ALSO HE STOLE SOMETHING

crypto: yes well, loba is telling him better ways to steal things right now.

wattson: Oh, you’ve met Loba too? And Anita I presume?

crypto: both, yes.

wraith: have you and anita thrown hands yet

crypto: we're both too fond of octavio to start shit at the moment

crypto: but the next time i see her it will be on sight

wraith: heh. fun

wattson: Oh, I would like to meet everyone one day...

lifeline: One day, baby

wattson: :D One day!

lifeline: What’s he going to do with the banner

crypto: he says he stole it for me but.

crypto: there is no way i can take that on my flight home

octane: u could if u werent a fucking coward

wraith: ^

crypto: octavio. if i take kim seokjin’s entire face onto a plane people are going to notice and the police are going to be called.

octane: sounds like a u problem

crypto: YOU. STOLE IT.

wattson: Oh dear.

lifeline: Taejoon don’t be afraid to kick his ass, I would understand

octane: wtf why do u all hate me

crypto: maybe because you steal things, tavi-yah

lifeline: I just hate you because you're annoying

wraith: same

octane: wtf

octane: nat???

wattson: ^^....

octane: WHAT THE HELL

* * *

Taejoon’s hotel room had a queen-sized bed and soft white lighting, as well as a large TV and very loud A/C unit. The stolen banner was shoved beneath the bed at Taejoon's request, and when Octavio finished doing so he stood up and wandered about, touching everything and picking random things up to inspect them.

A small suitcase sat in the corner, unpacked, and he considered messing with it too, but decided to leave it alone for now. Instead he sat on the edge of the mattress, atop the gold-lined covers, and asked,

“How long are you going to be in town?”

“About another three days,” Taejoon mumbled, taking off his shoes and running a hand through his hair, checking his reflection out in the mirror. “I promised I’d be back to help Mila run the shelter.”

“How cute,” Octavio said, and tried not to think about the fact that his boyfriend had a degree in computer science and worked in IT and owned his own apartment and apparently volunteered at animal shelters on the weekend. He felt comparatively lame, despite how _boring_ those things sounded. God, did he want to settle down? What the fuck was happening to him?

“I’m going to take a shower,” Taejoon said, and crossed the room to press a kiss to Octavio’s forehead, his face heating up at the contact. “Get comfortable.”

Octavio nodded, unable to respond, and watched his boyfriend enter the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He then flopped down onto his back, staring up at the white ceiling while the reality of what was happening finally came crashing down onto him.

After a year of video calls that sometimes turned into them shoving their hands down their pants on camera, after a year of private messages that sometimes had Octavio taking suggestive pictures of himself with his heart racing in his chest and a throbbing sensation between his legs, they could possibly be about to _do it_ for real. 

Octavio rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face into the fluffy white pillow, anticipation thrumming through his body as he tried to calm himself down. Nothing was guaranteed, of course, and Taejoon was probably tired and had this whole thing about not wanting to pressure Octavio into sex, or _whatever_ , but Octavio _really_ wanted to do something with him. It had taken them over a year to meet in person, and who knew when it would happen again?

Sure, they had another three days to do it, but Octavio had never been very good at waiting for things. Not only that, but Taejoon felt... _special_ to him. His longest relationship, despite most of it having happened online, and he was honestly surprised with himself.

He had thought to himself at the beginning of their relationship, after a confession in their private messages and the video call that had followed (which had _instantly_ become sexual but it hadn't been Octavio's fault, surprisingly), that his interest in Taejoon wouldn't last very long. That them dating online would soon kill his interest, and he'd break it off after a couple of months to find something more new and exciting.

But that...hadn't happened.

Taejoon was _nice,_ even if his sense of humor was dry and he sometimes had a very short temper, though he hardly ever seemed to lose it with Octavio. He was so _patient_ with him, something Octavio hadn't had in a _very_ long time, despite everyone else's best efforts.

Anita got tired of his boundless energy and Ajay grew frustrated with his relapses and his love for adrenaline that had taken the place of his addiction; Natalie, bless her, couldn't handle listening to him over voice call, as he was _too loud,_ and his ADHD was a hard match against Ramya's own.

But Taejoon did none of those things, always willing to let him rant about the things that interested him, always let him be as loud as he wanted, always _understood_ when he got stressed out and took stim to numb it all. Taejoon wanted him to be clean more than anyone else (except for, perhaps, Ajay) but he didn't get _mad_ when Octavio relapsed, and for that he was grateful.

He was grateful for his boyfriend, and ughhh he was thinking about it all too much and getting sappy. Face still buried into the pillow, he tried thinking of something else to take his mind off of his feelings...Taejoon's dick.

_Hell yeah._

Octavio eventually sat up to take his legs off, setting them to the side before debating with himself if he should take his shorts off to get more comfortable.

He didn’t bring a change of clothes with him, and was left only with his Cooky t-shirt and tight jorts that probably wouldn’t be very comfortable to sleep in, but he also didn’t want to make Taejoon feel awkward when he walked out of the bathroom and saw Octavio in his underwear.

He put his legs back on and stalked over to Taejoon’s suitcase, zipping it open to see if the man had anything suitable for him to wear. He found a baggy sweater inside that definitely wasn’t suited for California weather, and undressed before sliding it on. It went down to his mid-thighs, and he had to roll the sleeves up a little so that his hands could be seen, but it was comfy, and he was sure that his boyfriend wouldn’t mind.

He settled back down on the bed, taking his legs off for good this time, and was just pulling his phone out to check his timeline when the bathroom door opened and Taejoon stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was dripping water, droplets of it running down his chest, which was _way_ too built for an IT nerd who lived alone with two cats. _Wrow._

The other man froze when he caught sight of him, staring with wide eyes, and Octavio gave him a shit-eating grin, purposely popping his hip out a little and asking,

“Like what you see?”

“Is that my..?”

“Yeah, I didn’t bring any clothes over. _Lo siento_.”

“...It’s fine,” Taejoon mumbled, voice sounding weird, before bending over his suitcase. He pulled out a familiar-looking pair of gray sweatpants that Octavio had seen the other’s cock through far too many times, and fuck now he was really. _Really_ excited for _something_ to happen.

He respectfully closed his eyes when Taejoon dropped the towel, though he wanted to peek so very badly. After what he thought was a good enough amount of time, he opened them again to see Taejoon toweling his wet hair.

“Come lay with me, _amor_ , I’m getting impatient,” Octavio said, patting the bed next to him, and Taejoon’s lips quirked up a little at the corners.

“I’m glad to see you that you’re like this in person too,” Taejoon said, finally joining him on the bed. “So much energy.”

“I get that a lot, but usually not in a good way.” Octavio rolled over onto his side, facing his boyfriend, who watched him with a calm expression on his face. “Anyways, today was great. I had fun!”

“Me too.”

“And there’s so much we can do tomorrow, you can come meet Ajay and Ramya and Renee, they’re all going to be on campus," Octavio rambled, full of nervous energy, and kept going on about the things he'd thought about doing with Taejoon for the past several months.

Taejoon had rolled over onto his side too, facing him and listening to him with this _look_ on his face that soon left him at a loss for words. He’d never had anyone look at him so fondly before—and it wasn’t the first time he’d seen his boyfriend’s face this way, but it was definitely the first time he’d seen it in person, so close to him. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Octavio asked, voice once again straying into high territory.

"Because I like listening to you talk," Taejoon told him, smiling softly and _fuck_ Octavio was going to melt. "You're cute when you're excited."

"Well, _you're_ cute when you...everything."

Taejoon let out a little snort of disbelief. "How am _I_ cute?"

"'Cuz you're such a fucking _nerd_ , dude. You get all shy when I flirt with you on call and talk to your cats in that weird _baby_ voice and you make fun of Elliott for being a _loser_ even though _you_ play DnD every weekend," Octavio said this all in one breath, and Taejoon's face flushed a little at this.

"I always thought you found me boring, not cute."

" _No!_ I mean _sometimes_ you talk about boring shit like programming but look, would I have bothered with you tonight if I thought you were boring, cariño?" He added the nickname for effect, staring hard at the other and surprised by his own offense at the statement.

Taejoon, _boring?_ No way—he liked the same video games Octavio did and knew how to hack into things and made fun of Elliott all the time which was Octavio's _favorite_ thing to do and they listened to the same groups and...

Octavio’s fingers were tapping impatiently between them, energy thrumming through him as wondered if he should make the first move or not; Taejoon was just _right there,_ looking at him, and he wanted to kiss him so bad because ew, he was in love.

He soon decided fuck it, life was too short and he was Octavio _motherfucking_ Silva and he was _tired_ of waiting. So he leaned forward and kissed the other man, nerves blazing, but he instantly relaxed when Taejoon’s hand slid down his back and tugged him closer in response.

They stayed like that for several minutes, locked at the lips and Octavio grabbing fistfuls of Taejoon’s hair, trying to commit the real thing to memory while his boyfriend's hand rested at the small of his back, never going lower, though he so desperately wanted it to. 

He rolled his hips against the other's, trying to elicit a response, though the angle was too awkward to achieve what he wanted. He instead slid his own hand down to squeeze the other’s ass, grinning against his lips when Taejoon let out a little puff of air in response, clearly amused by this action.

Soon enough they weren’t on their sides anymore, but Taejoon was now leaned over him, hand pressed into the bed beside his face. Octavio's nails dug into the man's face, gripping his jaw tightly so that he couldn't pull away for air, Taejoon's tongue in his mouth and it was _really_ fucking hot, hotter than any of their video calls had ever been.

Octavio eventually wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, taking a brief moment to catch his breath, chest rising and falling rapidly. He felt nervous all of a sudden, that age-old dysphoric feeling of _what if he stops being attracted to me the moment I take off my pants,_ but he shook it off, instead choosing to ask,

“Do you wanna have sex?"

“Only if you do,” Taejoon answered, and nipped at his neck, which made his body jerk a little, ticklish.

“I do.” Octavio hooked his index fingers into the waistband of the other’s sweats, tugging at them a little. He could feel the other’s cock hardening against his thigh, and god, he was really fucking nervous but also really fucking _impatient._ He’d dreamed about this, but nothing could possibly compare to the real thing.

He squeezed his thighs together as his boyfriend slowly began rolling his hips against his like Octavio had tried doing earlier, though this angle was much better for it. The sweater he was wearing rode up to reveal his underwear, which was already starting to get soaked through from his own arousal, though Taejoon didn't seem to care, still moving against him in a way that was making him pant.

Taejoon took his time with Octavio, pressing kisses against his neck and making him gasp out in an embarrassing way. He was torn between really, really enjoying it and also wanting to get to the actual _sex_ part as quickly as possible, but he let his boyfriend get away with it for now. He’d flown across the country just to see him; he could have a little foreplay, as a treat.

And _godddd_ , he was rewarded for this thinking as Taejoon's hand slid past the waistband of his underwear and brushed his fingers against Octavio, making his hips jerk and yet another humiliating little _'ah'_ come out of him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Taejoon asked him, quiet and serious, which Octavio would have found sweet if his hand wasn't _literally_ on his fucking pussy right now.

" _Yes,_ you fucking _nerd_ ," Octavio panted, and Taejoon kissed him again before reaching up to pull his own pants down his thighs, cock springing free, which, _wrow×2._ This was going to be _fun,_ and he had waited _so long_ for this.His heart was beating fast, and when he ran his hands over Taejoon's chest, felt that his was, too.

"Nervous?" Taejoon asked, placing one of his hands over Octavio's in a tender gesture that made him feel Things _again._

"No, I'm excited," Octavio whined, arching his back a little. His boyfriend smiled at him, clearly amused, which just made Octavio feel more impatient at the fact that his cock was nowhere near inside him yet. "Now _hurry up._ "

* * *

[group chat]

octane: I

octane: GOT

octane: LAIDDDDDD

bangalore: ITS 4AM.

* * *

The next day was a little awkward because they kept looking at each other and smiling shyly as they remembered the night before, as if they were teenagers rather than grown-ass men. Octavio had even taken a long shower to calm himself down, trying to fight back the giddy feeling of being with his boyfriend intimately for the first time.

They ate a late lunch together, seated across from one another at a Mexican restaurant. It was day two of the concert, so a lot of BTS fans were in here as well, but Octavio was wearing one of Taejoon’s shirts, so he didn’t match them like he had yesterday.

His boyfriend’s face had flushed a deep red when he’d pulled it over his head this morning, which Octavio had made fun of, because _dude you literally had your dick in me last night,_ but thinking about it now also had _his_ face flushing. He felt like a loser.

He was becoming one of _those people...._ ew.

"So, we have to address the large, Kim Seokjin-sized elephant in the room," Octavio said, trying to distract himself as he cut his enchiladas up into little squares and then drowned them in the accompanying chile sauce. "You can't take that thing home."

Taejoon raised his eyebrows at this, saying with humor, "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"So, while it's technically yours, _I'll_ take it home with me and we can have joint custody over it." He gestured wildly with his fork, not towards anything in particular, but just to give him something to do. "You can have visitation rights."

Taejoon smiled a little, like he was trying not to laugh, before asking, "And when is my first weekend?"

"Tomorrow," Octavio said without missing a beat. "You can come see it at my place. My roommate won't be home."

"What about when I fly back to New York?"

"Video calls, obviously."

"That sucks." Taejoon solemnly poked at his chicken, eyebrows furrowed, though his lips twitched a little. "I want to see it more often."

"Maybe you shouldn't live in New York, then."

"Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't."

Taejoon raised his eyes to meet Octavio's, and something funny happened to him, his stomach flip-flopping a little as they stared at one another over their lunch. Wondering if perhaps he was going crazy, or if Taejoon was _really_ saying what he thought he was saying, Octavio asked,

"Where would you live, then?"

Taejoon made a show of looking around, and he couldn't help his smile anymore, clearly grinning while Octavio's leg bounced in anticipation because _what the hell is he saying._

"I dunno, this place seems nice. How often would I get my visitation rights if I got my job to transfer me here?"

Octavio swallowed around the lump in his throat, tapping his fork rather irritatingly against his plate. "Every day."

"Well then," Taejoon said, taking his wallet out to pay as their waiter approached with the bill. "Let's do it."

Octavio waited for the waiter to leave, mind still reeling, before joking, "My pussy was so good you're deciding to move down here? That's dedication, amor."

"This was your surprise," Taejoon told him, smiling at him in that way that made him feel mushy inside. "If everything went well, I was going to ask to be transferred."

"But what if you..." He didn't want to say _regret it_ , but the word was on the tip of his tongue, and Taejoon seemed to get his message anyways.

"I could always transfer back, and Mila's moving into my old apartment, so I'll still have something to come back to." His boyfriend stood up from the table, and Octavio followed, metal legs bouncing in place while he watched his boyfriend gather up his jacket. "I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't absolutely sure, Tavi-yah."

That _nickname_ which was going to make him fucking _explode._ Octavio pinched himself, trying to _calm the fuck down_ because holy shit Taejoon was going to come _here,_ and he could visit his boyfriend all the time and kiss him for real and climb into his lap and be held by him and he could show off his favorite skate park and go to the beach together and...

Taejoon was smiling at him again, fond, before reaching his hand out in a silent offer. Octavio took it, practically vibrating with excitement as they left the restaurant.

They didn't get very far before Octavio had burst into just what, exactly, he was most excited for Taejoon to do while he was in LA and what they would do when he moved here and hey maybe one day he can fly to New York to meet Mila and Mystik too! _but first you have to meet Ajay and the others before you leave..._

At some point Taejoon stopped him, and he took a deep breath, face a little red from talking so much. Before his boyfriend could say anything, Octavio stood on his tiptoes and threw his arms around the other's neck, kissing him on the mouth once; and then giggling and kissing him twice; and then gripping the back of his head and pulling him in for a third, deeper kiss.

"I have this to look forward too when I come back?" Taejoon asked, amused, and Octavio grinned up at him.

"You know it, cariño."

**Author's Note:**

> this was terrible but i deserve to write myself terrible things, no one else is going to give me a shitpost fic in homestuck colors where cryptane go to a bts concert, so happy early birthday to me >:D . thanks for reading if u made it this far!


End file.
